Presidents of Sri Lanka and Indonesia meet

[January 25
2018]

Three
bilateral MoUs signed

Indonesian President Joko Widodo says his country is
ready to provide technical assistance to Sri Lanka for the development
of medical equipment manufacturing, railway industry as well as for the
advancement of the education field.

He further said that he will look into the
possibilities of establishing a railway equipment manufacturing company
in Sri Lanka.

The Indonesian President made these remarks when he
met with President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat,
yesterday (24). Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited the country on
a two-day state visit, on an invitation extended by President Sirisena.

It is significant that an Indonesian President visited
Sri Lanka after of 38 years, since the former Indonesian President
Sukarno's visit to the country in 1979.

The Indonesian President Joko Widodo and the First
Lady, Iriana Joko Widodo were welcomed warmly by President Maithripala
Sirisena and First Lady Jayanthi Sirisena when they arrived at the
Presidential Secretariat. The welcome included a guard of honor and a
gun salute.

Bilateral discussions were held after a cordial
meeting between the two leaders.

Both leaders discussed on three main sectors and key
priority was given for further strengthening of economic cooperation
between the two countries, development of individual and institutional
capacities and enhancement of India Pacific Islands Co-operation.

During this meeting, the leaders drew their attention
to sign a Free Trade Agreement to promote bilateral trade between the
two countries.

Since the last few years, Sri Lanka has become an
advantageous investment environment for entrepreneurs, and the President
requested the Indonesian President to encourage Indonesian entrepreneurs
to explore the investment opportunities in Sri Lanka.

The leaders also discussed further strengthening of
the cooperation in the garment sector.

The Indonesian President paid his special attention to
the request made by the President to provide assistance to Sri Lanka to
utilize marine resources around Sri Lanka in a productive manner for the
economic development of the country.

The two leaders discussed regarding the enhancement of
cooperation between the security forces of the two countries, especially
in conducting training related to the defence field and cadet exchange
programmes. President Sirisena said that there is a possibility of
providing an opportunity for the special forces of Indonesian Navy to
participate in military course held in Trincomalee.

"The Indonesian President's visit to Sri Lanka is a
unique opportunity for the two countries to further consolidate ties
between the two countries", President Sirisena said and expressed his
gratitude for the hospitality extended to him during his visit to
Indonesia in March last year.

The President Sirisena thanked his Indonesian
counterpart for donating 5,000 metric tons of Rice, when there was a
shortage of rice due to droughts in 2017.

The two countries celebrate the 65th anniversary of
diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Sri Lanka this year and the
two leaders recalled the development of bilateral ties and cooperation
in political, cultural, economical trade, military, and tourism fields
during the past six and a half decades.

President Sirisena recalled that the Bandung
Conference held in 1955, which paved way for building the Non-aligned
movement, which laid the foundation for a new movement of solidarity
among newly liberated countries.

The President who brought back memories of the strong
connection shared by the two countries said that two countries work with
solid cooperation in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

The President asked the Indonesian President to
support Sri Lanka's application to become a dialogue partner in ASEAN.

The President of Indonesia said that his countries
expects Sri Lanka's cooperation to enhance cooperation between the
countries in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean region.

After bilateral discussions three agreements were
signed to enhance cooperation. The agreements were signed in the
presence of the leaders.

An MoU on Higher Education, Research and Technology
Cooperation, MoU on Prevention of Illegal Drug Trafficking, and a MoU on
Search and Rescue Missions were signed.